S.J. board tackles employee benefits

STOCKTON - Clerk of the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors, Lois Sahyoun, announced her retirement at Tuesday's meeting of the board.

Zachary K. Johnson

STOCKTON - Clerk of the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors, Lois Sahyoun, announced her retirement at Tuesday's meeting of the board.

First appointed to the post at the legislative epicenter of county government in April 1994, Sahyoun said she had worked with 24 elected supervisors and five each holding the office of county counsel and county administrators.

"These have been the best years of my life," she said when making her announcement at the end of Tuesday's meeting.

First hired by the county in 1966 as a stenographer in what was then called the County Welfare Department, Sahyoun changed jobs to work as a staffer for former Congressman Norm Shumway from 1979, according to the county. Following his retirement, she returned to the county in 1991 as an administrative manager for the Board of Supervisors.

In total, she would have worked in public service for 42 years. She plans to work through the end of December.

In other action at Tuesday's meeting, supervisors approved agreements with two employee groups that increase the amount employees are paying toward pensions and health benefits and move the county closer to setting up a new tier of retirement benefits for new employees.

Together, the two memoranda of understanding would save more than $561,000 a year, according to the county.

The two contracts were on the board's consent agenda and approved without discussion on a 4-0 vote. Supervisor Carlos Villapudua was not at the meeting.

Negotiators with the county and the Probation Officers Association struck a tentative deal July 25 that was later approved by the probation officers. Under the agreement, individuals will pay more for insurance premiums. Pension benefits rise with the cost of living. The changes have current employees splitting the cost of inflation with the county.

The changes are expected to save the county $774,500 through the June 30, 2014, end of the contract.

The probation officers also agreed to changes for future colleagues, including elimination of four floating holidays and a less generous formula for pension benefits for new hires. Implementation of the new tier would not go into effect until changes put in place for all public safety workers employed by the county that receive the same retirement benefit.

The board also approved a new contract with the Union of American Physicians and Dentists expected to save $61,000 annually. Implementation of changes to retirement for new hires is tied to all non-safety workers, who are mostly represented by other bargaining units.